Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Kinematic Analysis Of Gait And Deep Knee Flexion For Pre- And Post-Operative Total Knee Arthroplasty, Samantha Collins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a form of arthritis that develops in the joint due to overuse and aging causing pain, discomfort, and disability. Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a surgical procedure performed when OA symptoms are severe with an estimated 600,000 patients in the United States currently receiving TKA. Studies have reported dissatisfaction of the knee for 14-39% of patients. This study collected knee kinematics before and after surgery using stereo radiography for precise measurement of gait and deep knee flexion activities. Results showed healthy knee kinematics were not restored and no significant changes could be seen from OA kinematics in …

Exploration Of Motion Capture System To Investigate Human Shoulder Kinematics, Ola Alsaadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The glenohumeral joint (GH) is commonly conceptualized as a ball-and-socket joint [1], and its center of rotation (COR) is presumed to coincide with the geometric center of the medial-superior region of the humeral head [2]. Recent research has endorsed improvements in COR estimation through invasive and noninvasive techniques, including cadaver studies, stereophotogrammetry, and motion capture (MOCAP) systems. Despite increased interest in wearable technology within human movement analysis, the problem of COR estimation employing MOCAP systems and its validation against bi-planar fluoroscopy remains relatively unexplored.

This study employed a marker-based MOCAP system to compare the accuracy, error, and precision of three …

Computational Methodology For Generating Patient-Specific Soft Tissue Representations, Ahilan Anantha Krishnan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focused on modeling specimen-specific soft tissue structures in the context of joint replacement surgery. The research addressed four key aspects. The first study involved developing a workflow for creating finite element models of the hip capsule to replicate its torque-rotational response. Experimental data from ten cadaveric hips were used to calibrate the models, resulting in improved accuracy and relevance for surgical planning and implant design. The second study tackled the challenge of expediting the calibration of mechanical properties of the hip capsule to match patient-specific laxities. A statistical shape function model was proposed to generate patient-specific finite element …

Digital Twins Of The Living Knee: From Measurements To Model, Thor Erik Andreassen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern medicine has dramatically improved the lives of many. In orthopaedics, robotic surgery has given clinicians superior accuracy when performing interventions over conventional methods. Nevertheless, while these and many other methods are available to ensure treatments are performed successfully, far fewer methods exist to predict the proper treatment option for a given person. Clinicians are forced to categorize individuals, choosing the best treatment on “average.” However, many individuals differ significantly from the “average” person, for which many of these treatments are designed. Going forward, a method of testing, evaluating, and predicting different treatment options' short- and long-term effects on an …

Knowledge Integration In Domain-Informed Machine Learning And Multi-Scale Modeling Of Nonlinear Dynamics In Complex Systems, Phat K. Huynh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonlinear dynamical systems have been extensively used to model various phenomena in the changing world around us, especially in science and engineering fields. Thanks to breakthrough advancements in sensing technologies, an increasingly high volume of multi-modal sensor data has been collected, which enables us gain better insights into complex systems dynamics and build sophisticated data-driven machine-learning-based dynamic models without having the access to the underlying governing equations. However, integrating domain-specific knowledge in machine learning algorithms remains pivotal for various reasons: it promises enhanced predictive accuracy, better model interpretability, and increased generalizability. This dissertation delves into three core research questions, each …

Effect Of Fire Flame On Some Mechanical Properties Of Self-Compacting Concrete, Haider Sadiq M. Ali, Nabeel A-M. Albayati, Basman R. Mohammed, Adil M. Jabbar

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

This paper presents an experimental investigation of the effect of fire flame on self-compacting concrete. The experimental program included casting cylinder and prism concrete specimens for compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, and concrete density tests. The specimens are exposed to fire flame at 800 ºC approximately for 2 hours or 6 hours. Then the specimens were cooled either in a fast or slow manner. Test results show that the compressive strength was reduced by about (54 - 61)% for fire exposure of 6 hours and by (27 - 37)% for 2 hours of exposure and cooled slowly …

Manual Preparation Of Eyeglasses Based On Corneal Topographical Images For Keratoconus Patients, Bassma Sabah Majeed, Faiz F. Mustafa, Nebras H. Ghaeb

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

keratoconus (KCN) is a non-inflammatory, progressive thinning process of the cornea. It is considered one of the advanced biomechanical changes on the corneal surface, and methods of treatment in late cases are special designed contact lenses or surgical intervention. The objective of this paper is to customize the standard eyeglass lens in a way so that it fits with the abnormal shape and changes of the surface of the cornea of a patient suffering from KCN disease.The proposed method here, based on manual scratching of the external surface of the standard eyeglass lens under supervising of an expert optometrist, where …

Age-Friendly Educational Buildings Primary Schools In Kerbala - A Case Study, Anwar Fadhil Hussein, Ibrahim Jawad Kadhim

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The concept of age-friendly societies has gained international attention among researchers, policy makers, and community organizations since the World Health Organization launched the Friendly Communities Project in 2006, to address challenges in some countries, as these challenges affect all aspects of society, and the educational environment represents an important joint of those joints, being the environment that is the most effective and influential in shaping human behavior. The age stage that is most affected and capable of learning and shaping behavior is of importance, which is the childhood stage. Therefore, the research focused on school buildings, as they represent an …

The Role Of Enhancing Interaction With The Natural Environment In Achieving Social Interaction For Children In Orphanage Institutions, Shamael M. W. Al Dabbagh, Zainab Khalid Rashad Al Khafaji

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The child deprived of family care is considered the child most in need of attention and care. When the orphan child enters a new environment for him, it is obvious that he feels alienated, isolated, and loses the sense of interaction and communication with society. The research sees the possibility of mitigating this feeling by enhancing interaction with the natural environment within the internal spaces of the orphanage building and at the neighborhood level. In order to solve the research problem, the research adopted a hypothesis stating that "interaction with the natural environment enhances the achievement of social interaction for …

The Role Of Academic Competitions In Promoting Architectural Education: Tamayouze Excellence Award In Iraqi Architectural Education - Case Study, Nairy Mugardich Krikor, Anwar Subhi Ramadan

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The importance of architectural competitions has emerged in finding the best designs, upgrading and architectural advancement in both practice and thinking. Architectural competitions have become intellectual meetings that contribute to stimulating self-learning and encouraging creativity. They act as an educational tool that leads to competition, giving motivation to the development of skills and learning, in a way that enhances the integration between architectural theory and practical practice for both engineers and architecture students. The research was concerned with studying the effective role of academic competitions in architectural education as one of the ways to improve teaching and learning, and to …

Analysis And Mitigation Of Cyber-Attacks Targeting Infrastructures Operated By Iot Systems, Raja Salih Mohammed Hasan, Nadia Mahmood Ali, Ihsan Jabbar Hasan

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Numerous countries have a high impact on providing the planet with critical infrastructures offering very important services employed in different fields such as water resources management, public services, power grids, telecoms, commercials, and transportation. The increasing solutions in IoT systems made it possible to exploit internet connection services for supporting the critical infrastructures. The latest are being targeted by various types of cyber-attacks due to the advancement in internet services. Therefore, improving the security systems and the ways to detect the threats is highly required. Meanwhile, protecting the critical infrastructures from hostile cyber-attacks is of high significance. This article examines …

Reliability Assessment Model Of Network Operating System Based On Convolution Neural Network, Jamal N. Hasoon, Sarah S. Qasim, Mohammed A. Alshomali, Jane J. Stephan

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The paper's subject is one of the points of fundamental significance in improving the development of complex computer systems is the effect of errors since their probability of occurrence in a widely distributed system is exceptionally high. Thus, the computer system must be dependable and provide comprehensive support for fault tolerance, fault detection, signal recovery mechanisms, failure prediction, etc. The goal is to develop a way to evaluate the reliability of the Red Hat Linux operating system utilizing data sets of system failures obtained from system injection with error reports using the Fault Injection Benchmarking and Reliability) FIBR( (for a …

Investing Traditional Architecture That Fulfills The Supreme Human Needs With Its Spiritual Dimension In Reconstruction / The Architecture Of Old Mosul City, A Case Study, Sinan Mohammad Talee Al-Saffar, Anwar Subhi Ramdan Al - Qaraghuli

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Architecture has sought since time immemorial to meet multiple human needs, starting from the basic physiological needs for human survival, psychological needs (social and individual) to needs related to human progress, such as taking into account the aesthetic and spiritual aspects, which represent the highest levels of those needs, through a set of design aspects and characteristics. This research is based on the study of the spiritual dimension of higher human needs in general that architecture seeks to meet, by studying that in the architecture of traditional cities, in particular, to enhance architectural knowledge with regard to the importance of …

The Role Of Algorithms In Formulating The Architectural Formation, Ghada Ghalib Abdul Wahab, Younis Mahmood M. Salem

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Algorithms are mathematical processes that provide step-by-step instructions for solving a specific problem. They are commonly used in computer science and other technical fields to automate processes and solve complex problems. One great application of algorithms is the generation of shapes. Algorithms can be used to create complex shapes and patterns that are difficult or impossible to create manually. We will explore how algorithms can be used as a mechanism to generate shapes by adopting the Voronoi algorithm because it provides a wide environment for creativity through new intellectual processes that may not occur at all in the human mind …

The Detection Of Android Malwares Using The Features Selection Technique, Farah Rafid Salman, Amer Abdulmajeed Abdulrahman

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The use of Android smartphones has been rising quickly as Internet-based services gain more popularity and develop. The Android operating system's enormous popularity has drawn malware attacks on these devices. It is difficult and ineffective to detect malware versions with features that modify their behavior in order to avoid detection by machine learning (ML) techniques. Effective feature selection plays a crucial role in detecting malware characteristics and reduces the dimensionality of a large dataset by removing unnecessary features that are not useful and keeping those relevant features that increase classification accuracy and detection rate. This helps to solve the problems …

A Review Of Polymer – Particles Composite Materials, Ismail Ibrahim Marhoon, Ayad Abbood Abdul Al-Hassan, Mohammed Ali Abdulrehman

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

In several engineering applications traditional materials are replacedby composite materials. Filled composite materials consist of the continuousmatrix and the filling particles. The primary purpose of introducing inorganicsolid particles into polymers is to essentially increase mechanical and physicalproperties. The wear properties of polymer composite can be changed to agreater degree by modifying the process of preparing the filled compositematerials. In the present review, a large-scale research has been conductedon the effect of wear on the composites of polymers. The effect of filler onthe polymer composites wear behavior has been thoroughly explained

Ability Of Replacing The Steel Strands By Cfrp In Pre-Stressed Concrete Girders: Art Review, Ahmed Salim Edan, Wael Shawky Abdulsahib

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are the modern,trustworthy alternatives to steel tendons and rebars. The bulk of currentresearch is devoted to establishing the feasibility of incorporating carbonfibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) into reinforced concrete girders byevaluating the strength and reliability of CFRP and concrete components.In order to improve fatigue and corrosion resistance, CFRPs are crucial.Comparing reinforced prestressed concrete bridge girders strengthenedwith conventional steel reinforcement to those reinforced with CFRPs offersthe possibility of greatly increasing service life. Also widely researchedand used in bridge engineering as a corrosion-resistant substitute for steelreinforcement is CFRP composite material. The use of carbon fiber-reinforcedplastic (CFRP) reinforcement for prestressing concrete …

A Review Article On The Performance Based Seismic Design Of Structures, Reem Hatem Ahmed, Sahar Elaiwi, Shelan Hameed Ameen

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

For the most part, seismic design builds complex structural systems using the same small number of essential structural components as non-seismic design projects. Based on the building regulations, structures are frequently designed to "withstand" the largest earthquake with a given likelihood that is projected to happen at their location. This means that by avoiding structures from collapsing, the number of fatalities must be maintained to a minimal. Seismic design involves knowing the many failure modes regarding a structure and giving it the right stiffness, strength, ductility, and layout for ensuring that these modes do not take place. In this essay, …

Cellulose Materials For Drug Delivery Applications, Reham Mohamed

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Non-healing wounds are a growing global public health concern due to inadequate or ineffective therapeutic products available. Cellulose-based biopolymers are attractive wound dressing materials due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and cost-effectiveness. This study aims to design and fabricate solid dosage formulations using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and ethyl cellulose (EC) to facilitate multi-stage releases of phenytoin (PHT) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) from plain carriers, fibers/films composites, and layer-by-layer fiber composites. Results from in vitro drug release assays demonstrated a time-dependent release up to 8 hours from PHT-loaded EC fibers, while TCH-loaded CMC films exhibited a rapid release within 5 minutes. …

Upper Limb Tensegrity Exoskeleton, Emily Mendyke, Sha'anan Levy, Alan Zhang

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Tensegrity structures are composed of stiff rods and elastic cables suspended in a flexible tension network. Their inherent properties have several key advantages when used in assistive medical devices such as supportive braces or rehabilitation exoskeletons: 1) the lightweight and natural compliance reduces the power consumption required to operate the system; 2) the system stiffness and pretension can be individually tuned to accommodate the user’s needs; and 3) the impact-resistant properties can protect users in the event of collisions and falls. This project explores the design space of assistive tensegrity devices to augment human dexterity in the upper limb. Suitable …

Calculating The Difference In Stiffness Of Living T Cells Through Micropipette Aspiration, Minju Lee

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounted for 17.9 million deaths in 2019, with fibrosis contributing to nearly a quarter of these fatalities [1,2]. Fibrosis, characterized by excessive connective tissue formation, has been strongly linked to T cells, essential components of the immune system. This study explores the mechanisms of T cell activation and the subsequent changes in biophysical properties like diameter, stiffness, and elasticity, aiming to develop therapeutic strategies for fibrosis-related diseases, including CVD. Utilizing the micropipette aspiration technique, we accurately assessed T cell stiffness and observed a change in bulk cell stiffness upon activation. The results demonstrated increased fluid-like behavior in …

Enhancing Human Key Point Identification: A Comparative Study Of High-Resolution Vicon Dataset And Coco Dataset Using Bpnet, Bibash Lama

Masters Theses

Accurately identifying human key points is crucial for various applications, including activity recognition, pose estimation, and gait analysis. This study presents a high-resolution dataset created using the VICON motion capture system and three differently oriented 2D cameras, that can be used to train different neural networks for estimating the 2D key joint positions of the person from the 2D images or videos. The participants in the study included 25 healthy adults (17 males and 8 females) performing normal gait movements for about 2 to 3 seconds. The VICON system captured 3D ground truth data, while the three 2D cameras collected …

Hierarchical Based Classifcation Method Based On Fusion Ofgaussian Map Descriptors Foralzheimer Diagnosis Using T1‑Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nourhan Zayed, Shereen E. Morsy, Inas A. Yassine

Mechanical Engineering

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is considered one of the most spouting elderly diseases. In 2015, AD is reported the US’s sixth cause of death. Substantially, non-invasive imaging is widely employed to provide biomarkers supporting AD screening, diagnosis, and progression. In this study, Gaussian descriptors-based features are proposed to be efcient new biomarkers using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) T1-weighted images to diferentiate between Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and Normal controls (NC). Several Gaussian map-based features are extracted such as Gaussian shape operator, Gaussian curvature, and mean curvature. The aforementioned features are then introduced to the Support Vector Machine (SVM). …

Multi-Objective Design Optimization Of Two Configurations Of Ventricular Shunts For Hydrocephalus, Will Kirkpatrick

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrocephalus is developed when the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is obstructed in the ventricles and a pressure build-up is generated within the brain. Ventricular shunts are used to remove excess fluid from the brain, but these shunts have a common problem of failure due to the shunt being obstructed by the build-up of astrocytes. To address this, two sets of 27 designs of ventricular shunts were identified and analyzed with parameters that could potentially reduce obstruction risks. The performance of these designs was examined using fluid simulations on these two sets of 27 designs. One set explored close-tipped shunt designs, …

Nanoscale Modeling Of Membrane Systems Under Mechanical Deformation In Traumatic Brain Injury Using Molecular Dynamics, Anh Thi Ngoc Vo

Theses and Dissertations

Neuronal membrane disruption and mechanoporation are nanoscale damage mechanisms that critically affect brain cell viability during traumatic brain injury (TBI). These nanoscale cellular impairments are elusive in experiments and necessitate in silico approaches such as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Implementing MD, this research aims to investigate the effects of different key factors related to membrane deformation and damage, including force field resolutions, lipid compositions, and loading conditions.

To examine the impact of force field resolution, MD deformation simulations were conducted on 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) lipid bilayer membranes, using all-atom (AA), united-atom (UA), and coarse-grained Martini (CG-M) force fields. The mechanical responses …

Hemodynamic Assessment Of Y-Incision Aortic Root Enlargement Using Computational Simulations, Astitwa Ghimire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Yang procedure is a new aortic root enlargement technique used to enlarge the aortic annulus by multiple valve sizes. The procedure prevents patient prosthesis mismatch and establishes a viable platform for future valve-in-valve implantation. This study used the Yang procedure to investigate the hemodynamics in the aortic root and bioprosthetic valve regions after aortic root enlargement. Results indicate the velocity magnitude at the sinus regions of a patient who underwent the Yang procedure was slower, indicating risks of flow stasis and thrombosis. Simulation results denote computational models can be created for optimization of surgical procedures.

Computational Comparison Of Medializing Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy And Trochleoplasty In Patients With Trochlear Dysplasia, Clare K. Fitzpatrick, Robert N. Steensen, Oliver Alvarez, Amy E. Holcomb, Paul J. Rullkoetter

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR) has emerged as the procedure of choice for recurrent patellar dislocation. This addresses soft tissue injury but does not address underlying anatomic factors, including trochlear dysplasia, that are commonly present and increase risk of dislocation. Quantification of the stability offered by other surgical interventions, namely, medializing tibial tubercle osteotomy (mTTO) and trochleoplasty, with and without MPFLR, may provide insight for surgical choices in patients with trochlear dysplasia. We developed subject-specific finite element models based on magnetic resonance scans from a cohort of 20 patients with trochlear dysplasia and recurrent patellar dislocation. The objectives of this …

A Virtual Method For Establishing Femoral Stem Position In Total Hip Arthroplasty, Samuel Mattei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful orthopedic surgeries performed, in which the hip joint is reconstructed to improve functionality and decrease pain in the joint. Despite the success of these procedures, femoral stem misalignment remains an area that influences THA success. The relationship between the femoral stem geometry and implanted femoral stem size and orientation is underreported due to limitations in the collection of radiographic data used for clinical pre-operative templating. Furthermore, the influence of anatomic measurements on the direction and size of the femoral stem are not considered due to imaging technique and difficulties associated …

Finite Element Modeling Of Patient-Specific Total Shoulder Arthroplasty, Ignacio Rivero Crespo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (TSA) is a surgical procedure designed to improve joint functionality by replacing the articulation between the humeral head and the glenoid fossa. Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (aTSA) and Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (rTSA) are two types of replacement surgery to relieve pain and restore function of the shoulder. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of variation of certain patient and implant alignment parameters that may influence long-term outcomes of these surgical procedures, including kinematics, joint loads and contact mechanics. Computational models of six TSA subjects, three aTSA and three rTSA, were created …

A Review Of Solar Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermal (Pv-T) Collectors And Systems, Todd Otanicar

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in hybrid PV-T collectors and the wider systems within which they can be implemented, and assess the worldwide energy and carbon mitigation potential of these systems. We cover both experimental and computational studies, identify opportunities for performance enhancement, pathways for collector innovation, and implications of their wider deployment at the solar-generation system level. First, we classify and review the main types of PV-T collectors, including air-based, liquid-based, dual air–water, heat-pipe, building integrated and concentrated PV-T collectors. This is followed by a presentation of performance enhancement opportunities and pathways for …